Based upon report
originally produced from comprehensive details compiled by Capt D.
Nelson (SSVF) B.R.E on 23 Aug 45. It was printed in a booklet prepared
by Lt Col T.R.Beaton (Retd) Australian Army after he had spent two
years as Curator of the Hellfire Pass Museum (Dec 1999 Dec 2001)

A brief description of the parties of prisoners that were sent
to the Burma Thailand Railway. Some statistics on the terrible toll
taken by conditions imposed by a ruthless enemy are as follows:

Military

Number of POWs

Deaths

British

30131

6904

Dutch

17990

2782

Australian

13004

2802

American

686

131

Total

61811

12619

Civilians

Number of Slaves

Deaths

Malaya

75000

42000

Burmese

90000

40000

Javanese

7500

2900

Singapore

5200

500

Total

177700

85400

The above figures do not include the deaths of Railway workers
moved to other locations and later died from the treatment received
while working on the railway.

Green,
Ramsay & Anderson Forces and the British Battalion made up A Force
under Brigadier Varley

Green Force: Under Major Green of the 2/4th Machine Gun
Battalion. This force started work on the Railway on the 1st October
1943, and were the first of No 3 Group to work on the Railway.

Ramsay Force: Arrived at the 26 Kilo
Camp 20th December 1942 on the 18th March 1943 they moved to the 75
Kilo Camp, then to 105 Kilo Camp on the 22 May 1943 where they were
amalgamated with Black & Green Forces.

Anderson Force: Made up into Kumis
of 50 men each, No 37 to 51, 750 men Kumi 37 officers Kumi, 38 Warrant
Officers Sergeants, arrived in Thanbyuzayat on the 5th October 1942. On
10th October only 710 marched to the first camp which was the 18-kilo
camp ALEPAUK (Hlepauk) On the 3rd January 1943 this force moved to the
35-kilo camp Tanyin to join Williams Force, later became No 1 Mobile
Force.

British Sumatra Battalion: 498 British 2 Australians from
Sumatra under Capt Authored, including Australian surgeon Colonel
Coates worked at the 18-kilo camp then joined the Americans under Capt
Fiztsimmons, these were the only British prisoners working on the Burma
end of the railway.

Java Parties

Williams Force: Under Lt
Col John Williams C.O. of the 2/2nd Pioneers made up of 884
men mainly 2/2 Pioneer Battalion, sailors of the Cruiser HMAS Perth.
Arrived Thanbyuzayat late October 1942 and became part of 3 Group,
moved to Tanyin 35 kilo camp first. Camp Commandant Lt Yamada was one
of the best and tolerant Japanese Officers on the Railway who respected
Col Williams, unfortunately he was later moved. The Medical Officer was
Ear Nose & Throat Specialist Lt Col Eadie. In March 1943 with
Anderson Force, moved back to the 26 Kilo camp Kunknikway, here they
were to come under the control of the unpredictable and drunkard Lt
Naito. On April 4th they commenced the work of laying the rails &
sleepers through to where the two ends joined on 17 October 1943 known
as No 1 Mobile Force. It should be noted that in all Australian camps
on the Burma end of the Railway, Officers accompanied the men on the
work parties and actively intervened to protect the men from
punishment, often taking the bashing themselves. This was very much the
rule in Williams and Anderson Forces where the Officers had won the
respect of the men in action in Syria, Java & Malaya, Col Anderson
won his Victoria Cross in the Malaya fighting.

Black Force:Lt Col Chris Black included 610 Australians
190 Americans & 111 Dutch arrived Thanbyuzayat 30th October 1942
moved to 40 kilo camp Beke Taung Medical Officer was Australian Capt
John Higgins, joined by Dutchman Dr Hekking In November the water
supply failed and the force moved to the 26 kilo camp joining Ramsay
Force, Padre Keith Matheson from the Cruiser HMAS Perth arrived to
provide help for the sick.

No 1 Mobile Force: From the 26 Kilo
point this group worked right through the wet season, staging through
many of the camps laying the sleepers and rails also ballasting, hard
and demanding work that took it's toll of men. Dr Rowley Richards the
Force Doctor accompanied the group right through to where the two ends
were joined in October 1943, his book "the Survival Factor" graphically
tells the story.

All Dutch Force: This force started
work on the 8 kilo camp Wagale, and by the end of October 1942 it is estimated
that 4600 Dutch POWs were working on the Burma end of the railway,
believed to have come from Sumatra.

No 5 Group From Java: 456 Americans
385 Australians, 1159 Dutch, led by American
Lt Col Thorp they left Singapore by train, 9th January 1943,
at Penang they boarded the Hell Ship Moji Maru. 965 Dutch aboard the
Nichimei Maru also left Penang in the same convoy On the 15th January
the convoy was attacked by B24 Liberators, the Nishimei Maru was sunk
with the loss of 40 Dutch prisoners, on the Moji Maru 25 prisoners were
killed. On reaching Thanbyuzayat this group worked in the 18-kilo,
80-kilo and 100 Kilo camps. The death rate of 24% for the group was
made up of 322 Dutch, 28%, 98 Americans 22%, 54 Australians 14%.

Dunlop Force: Under the command of Lt Col Edward Dunlop a noted Australian
surgeon, 895 made up of 15 Officers 12 WOs and 868 ORs left Bandoeng,
they were joined before boarding the ship by other prisoners,
Australian mainly with 159 Dutch, departed from Batavia, in January
1943 first by Hellship Usa Maru to Singapore then by rail to Non
Pluduc. They were the first Australians to arrive in Thailand; they
were transported by trucks to Konyu and later to Hintock where they
remained for the duration of the construction, working on a particular
difficult section involving cuttings and embankments. In February
Dunlop commanded a force of 1873 prisoners including 623 Dutch. Cholera
also took a huge toll of this force with 66 deaths, 84 cholera victims
recovered due to a miracle of ingenuity when a distilling plant was
manufactured from stolen copper piping. The saline fluid was injected
directly into the patients to replace the rapid dehydration caused by
the cholera. Initially Dunlop Force was housed at Hintock Jungle camp
later Hintock River camp. The poem, "Bamboo
Jack", written by John Wisecap tells the story in graphic detail.

Java Party 5, 6, 8 & 9: Made up
of 16 train loads each of 625 they departed from Singapore during
January and February 1943, consisting of 8750 Dutch and 1250 other
nationalities.

Java Party 3000: Consisting of 2831
Dutch and 169 other Nationalities left Singapore in 5 train lots of 650
on 13th to 17th April 1943.

There are 3 rosters:
1. Java Party 25 - 275 English, 4 Australian and 680 Dutch
2. Java Party 26 - 117 English, 106 Australian, 8 American, 408 Dutch
3. Unknown Party
WO 361-1997 (POW transports 1945 from Java to Thailand) - There are three transports:
1. Batavia to Thailand 8-1-1945: exactly the roster of Java Party 25 (already available on my website)
2. Batavia to Thailand 15-1-1945, exactly the roster of Java Party 26 (idem)
3. Batavia to Singapore 24-5-1945. The third transport is not known to
me and not mentioned in the literature, even not in the book of David
Nelson (the Story of Changi). I checked all POWs beginning with A: they
came from Java (present on the Java camp list 1-11-1944) and went to
Singapore (present on the Singapore list of freed POWs, Sept 1945). So
I created 70 years after the war a new party and called it Java Party
27! I will extend the Java Party presentation on my website with this new party with the Dutch roster.

Thailand Parties from
Singapore

First Mainland Party: Under
Major R.S.Sykes (later killed in air raid on 3rd December 1944) 3000
British left Singapore June 18, 20, 22, 24/26th 1942, their task
initially was to build the housing camp at Non Pluduc to house future
work parties en route for up country. These troops were also involved
in building the railway through to Kanchanaburi, assisted by Thai
workers.

K.L Party: 401 British POWs left
Kuala Lumpur Malaya on the 14th October 1942 for Ban Pong.

Sime Road Party: 2600 British left
Singapore in four train lots departing on the 17th 18th 20th and 22nd
October 1942 for Ban Pong. Colonel Toosey
led one party, the fictional British Colonel in the movie Bridge on the
River Kwai was supposed to be fashioned on Toosey however nothing could
be more opposite. Toosey was the leader responsible for the Prisoners
at Tamarkan that built the two bridges over the Kwai he was most
respected both by his men and the Japanese. Toosey tread a fine line
between protecting his men and cooperating with the enemy.

Y Party: Left Singapore for Ban Pong
24th October 1942 commanded by Major P.S.F.Jackson R.A. made up of 650
British from Adam Park.

POWs sent to Japan from Thailand, up to 1 November 1944; nominal roll
Date: 1942 Jan 01 - 1944 Dec 31
Several pages and descriptions are in Japanese. Data provided includes
Service, Rank, Card Numbers (new & old), Former Camp & Remarks.
It appears that there are British, American, Australian and Dutch POWs
listed on these rosters.

Singapore PartiesD Force: Under joint command
of British Lt Col G.G. Carpenter and Australian Lt Col Mc Eachern, 5000
POWs, 2780 British and 2220 Australian departed Changi 14th to 23rd
March 1943 for Ban Pong The Australians were organised into three
battalions, "S' "T' "U" commanded by Lt Col McEachern, Major E.J Quick
and Capt Reg Newton This mixed force were spread over an area including
Tarsao, Hintock, Konyu and Kinsayok and some worked on the notorious
Hellfire Pass cutting.

F Force: 7000 prisoners under the
command of British Lt Col S.W.Harris, with Lt Col Dillon leader of the
British and Lt Col Kappe Leader of the Australians, were sent by rail
to Non Pluduc during the latter part of April 1943. Made up of 3666
Australians and 3334 British they were to suffer the highest casualties
of any group. They remained under the control of the Malay Command, not
the Thai-Burma Command so they suffered in the distribution of
supplies. Another factor was the forced march of some 300 kilometres in
shocking conditions to their work area near the Burma border. The final
disaster on top of over work, poor rations, and diseases rife in the
area was the cholera epidemic, which struck during the wet season. 637
of F Force succumbed to Cholera up to September, 193 Australians, 444
British, 10% of F Force The final death toll for the British prisoners
was 61.3% the Australians 29%. Of the 3336 British in F Force 2037 of
them died, the Australians lost1060 men. LINK to Col. Dillon report on this Force; see also The F Force. Original archive: Capt. Benjamin Barnett Diary(transcription, DOCX file)

Date: 1943 Jan 01 - 1943 Dec 31
Death rolls and burial details along the various Thai-Burma railway
camps. Transferred from location, cause of death and location of death
provided. All Anglo names.

"H" Force: Under British Lt Col
H.R.Humphreys and Australian Lt Colonel Oakes the party of 3270 left
Singapore in 6 train lots during the period 5th to the 17th May 1943.
Consisting of 1141 British, 670 Australians, 588 Dutch, 26 Americans,
Malay Volunteers and Indians made up the rest. A unique feature of H
Force was an Officers Party made up of 260 Officers who worked as
labourers. A number H Force were sick before departure, the last work
party to leave for the railway their death rate was extremely high,
like F Force they remained under the control of Singapore Command and
suffered accordingly Initially this group went to Tonchan Camp 139
Kilometres north of Non Pluduc. The Australians under Lt Colonel Oakes
with Major green 2/IC went to Konyu Camp 2 and worked on the Hellfire
Pass Cutting, also the Three Tier Bridge, which took a deadly toll of
the men. Living conditions were atrocious the only protection from then
wet were 24 canvas tent flys (canvas sheets) The death rate in H Force
was 27.4% or 885, of these 179 were Australians. Australian Medical
Officers were Majors Ernie Marsden and Major Kevin Fagan. In August
1943 100 Australians were selected and force marched to Konkoita to
join F Force on a cutting that was running behind time.

The 26 Americans in H Force included 7
Merchant Navy Officers who were part of the Officers Work party in
H.Force. 13 American prisoners initially worked on the Thailand end of
the railway, on 5th May 1943, 19 American POW were sent up with H.
Force, all were from the Thorpe's Java party who were left in Singapore
through sickness. Led by their only NCO Clayton S Gordon of S Battery
131 Artillery, they marched the 140 kilometres from Ban Pong to Hintock
Camp, 6 were too sick to continue and remained in Kanchanaburi. At
Hintock Mountain Camp they worked on the notorious "Three Tier Bridge"
at the 155 kilo point, four of this group died, John Wisecup a survivor
from the USS Houston wrote the following
poem.

Deaths at Kanchanaburi Hospital
Date: 1945 Nov 23 - 1946 Jun 04
Anglo (unidentified), Australian and Dutch names
Includes a list of "Appendices" (Anglo and Dutch), one of which (J) is
included in this archive. Care of Dutch Commander Cornelis before
his death, and restitution of expenditures by his son.

"K" Force: Another medical part
left Singapore 25th June 1943 under British Major E.E.D Crawford, made
up of 230 medical staff 163 British, 55 Australian 11 Dutch and another
National.

"L" Force: Medical party left
Singapore on the 24th August 1943 led by British Lt Col H.C.B. Bebson
R.A.M.C. made up of 42 British and 73 Australians.

Medical Party: Made up of 28 Dutch
and 2 other Nationalities left Singapore on the 87th February 1944 for
Ban Pong. These people arrived four months after the railway
Construction work was completed and were used to treat the sick
prisoners.
Thailand POW Movements via Singapore (WO 361-2198):

Date: 1944 Jan 01 - 1945 Dec 31
Rosters of British, Australian (AIF - referenced, but not listed), Dutch (referenced, but not listed) and American POWs